The Basement
by drakemi'owne
Summary: A prequel to the Top Floor. Draco opened his eyes slowly and blinked. He felt something on top of him, and he had problem breathing. He blinked and saw Pansy on top of him, a very angry and hurt Hermione just a few steps from the foot of the bed.


**A/N: This is a prequel to my other story, TOP FLOOR. I hope you guys would like this one. It's pretty long. The longest one-shot I've ever written! Enjoy!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

"Hermione!" Harry Potter called out to his best friend Hermione Granger through her living room. The girl was no where in sight when he came in through the fireplace.

"Down here!" Hermione shouted from a door leading to her basement. Harry sighed and went down the hall to look for her. He peeped through the door and he saw that the light was on. He climbed down to her basement and saw his best friend fussing around an old trunk.

"What are you doing down here?" Harry asked, peering over her shoulder to have a better sight of the trunk. When she didn't answer his question he spoke again.

"What are you doing with your Hogwarts trunk?" Hermione sighed and sat on the pavement floor with her legs crossed underneath her.

"I was trying to find the dress my mother gave me for the for the Yule ball back in fourth year." Hermione stated, looking around her basement.

"The periwinkle dress that you wore?" Harry asked, crouching beside the trunk to look at the contents. A sly smile crossed his face when he saw a velvet box lying over an old Hogwarts robe. He picked it up and opened it, surprisingly as he expected, the contents of the box was still there.

"I thought you said you were going to throw this to the Lake and feed it to the Giant Squid the moment you knew who it was from?" He said smirking at her as if reminding her of to whom the box was from.

* * *

_It was the last day of NEWTs and Hermione's last test was Arithmancy which was over two hours ago while Harry and Ron's were Divination which will take place in an hour. Her test was fairly easy, but knowing Hermione Granger for almost seven years, Harry and Ron sat in the common room telling her that she will get top marks._

_"You said that you weren't sure of one of your answers right?" Ron asked Hermione for the sixteen billionth time that same hour._

_"Yes Ron! And I can't find the answer in this book!" Hermione answered him for the sixteen billionth time that hour too. She was flipping through her textbook trying to see a match to the test question but was fruitless._

_"It's just one, Hermione!" Ron cried out trying to make a point._

_"That one question might just cause me to fail, Ronald!" Hermione spat, turning her head from the book to Ron and back again. Harry blinked and was quite sure that that swift movement might have broken her neck. Harry shook his head as if clearing his mind and kneeled before Hermione, the large Arithmancy book between them._

_"Hermione!" Harry said, shaking his best friend's shoulders. Hermione looked quite disheveled and upset at what he did but he stayed firm. He looked at her eye to eye and continued talking._

_"It was just __one question! You were sure with all the other answers! So the chance of you failing is ZERO!" Harry told her firmly. Hermione kind of looked like she was starting a fit, Harry even closed his eyes shut and looked the other way getting ready for a non stop rambling. His hands were still holding her shoulders when Hermione spoke in a very calm voice that Harry thought was not a good sign. Even Ron took a step back, ready for a sudden outburst._

_"Right. Thanks Harry." Harry reluctantly opened his eyes and looked at his best friend._

_"You're thanking me?" He asked, pulling his hands away from her shoulders. Hermione nodded and smiled._

_"You should keep doing that, Harry. I'm so paranoid sometimes." Hermione told him and sat up._

_"Sometimes?" Ron said, making a point._

_"Okay, fine. Always, happy Ronald?" She said, walking towards the portrait hole._

_"Where are you going?" Harry asked walking beside her, Ron followed suit._

_"You are done studying right?" Hermione asked, now outside the hall._

_"Err, yeah? Why?" Ron asked her._

_"Let's have a walk before your test, and then I'll walk you to the Astronomy tower."_

_"And why would you do that?" Harry raised an eyebrow at her._

_"What? I can't wish my two best friends luck before their last exam?"_

_The two boys shrugged and they had a walk around the wing of the Astronomy tower. When it was a quarter to 9 o'clock they started their way to the Astronomy Tower._

_Other students weren't aloud to climb the last set of steps so she hugged her best friends and wished them luck on the second to the last landing._

_"You guys do your best and make me proud, alright?" Hermione told them and smiled._

_"You talk like my Mum." Ron commented but smiled nonetheless. They two boys were climbing the stairs when they saw a velvet box lying on the floor._

_"Hey look, there's a note under it," Ron said. Harry picked it up and read:_

_Granger,_

_Meet me at the Entrance Hall_

_"It's not signed." Harry proclaimed as he gave the note to Hermione. Ron was about to open the box when Hermione grabbed it from him._

_"You have a test to attend to. Now, go and do your best!" She called out as she started down the tower towards the Entrance Hall. On her way there, she kept rereading the note and taking a glance of the box. She hadn't mustered up the courage to look at what was inside yet. When she was near the Entrance Hall, she stopped for a minute._

_"Okay, Hermione, it would be foolish to meet the person who gave you this when you don't even know what's inside it!" Hermione told herself. She inhaled loudly and held the small box in her right hand while the left lifted the top._

_Hermione frowned._

_"__Is this some kind of a joke?"_

_She picked the ring from inside the box and examined it. It was made of crocheted green, silver and red strings entwined to make a ring. She admitted that it was charming but, she half expected that it was diamond or something precious. She shrugged the disappointment off and wore the "ring" on her ring finger which fit, surprisingly._

_She started to walk again towards the Entrance Hall, examining how the ring looked like on her finger. It was really cute for someone to take some time and make this for her._

_She looked up and down the hall to see the person who sent her the package but nobody was there. Everyone was either having their exams or in Hogsmeade unwinding after a long week of exams._

_She was about to leave when she heard someone clearing their throat near the wall. She turned around and scowled at who she saw._

_"Malfoy." She acknowledged._

_"I see you got my gift." He said pushing himself from the wall he was leaning in and walked towards her._

_"Yes, and I am giving it back." Hermione removed the __ring from her finger and placed it back inside the box. She stretched her hand to give it to him._

_"Why? You were already wearing it. And as I see it, you kind of liked it." He dropped his eyes to her outstretched hand and back to her face. Hermione shifted on her foot._

_"Well, yeah, but knowing who it came from, I rather not have it." She stretched her arm further to drive her point._

_"Keep it." He said and walked away, his hands in his pockets. Hermione dropped her hand to her side and turned to his retreating back._

_"I am going to throw this in the Lake and feed it to the Giant Squid if you will not get it!" Hermione shouted. She somehow made him stop on his tracks and she thought he was about to run in her direction and grab it from her. He turned his head to look at her from the side and smirked._

_"You do that," He said and started to walk away again._

_Hermione fumed. She stomped her way to the lake even if it was already dark. She plopped herself down on a tree trunk and sulked. She glared at the ring inside the box and was thinking of throwing the revolting (although she really didn't think that) thing but thought otherwise. The ring shouldn't get punished just because the person who gave it to her was evil. So she closed the box and placed it inside her robes and started to climb inside the castle._

* * *

Hermione grabbed the box from Harry and glared at him.

"Wipe that smirk off your face! Next thing I know you'll dye your hair blonde!" Hermione spat. She closed her trunk, to Harry's chagrin, and started to climb up the stairs. Harry followed her.

"You know he was serious when he gave that to you, right?" Harry pushed, seating on her couch.

"Can we not have this conversation please?" Hermione told her friend.

"I'm just saying…"

"…that he is a good man and has changed and loves me with all his heart. Harry, how many times do I have to tell you? He doesn't like me! Let alone love me! He just did it to spite me! And you Harry James Potter, believes him every time he says such things!" Hermione proclaimed. She placed the box inside her room over her dresser.

"Hermione, you are paranoid." Harry stated and stood up.

"You were looking for the dress right?" Harry asked when he got no response from Hermione.

"Yes." Hermione answered with a nod.

"You were planning to wear that for the party tomorrow night?" Harry asked her. Hermione nodded again.

"No offense, 'Mione, but don't you think it would be out of size by now?" Hermione sighed and buried her face in her hands, shaking her head as if losing grip.

"I just don't know what to wear. I had Ginny over the other day. She opened my closet and told me I was an old maid." Hermione mumbled through her hands.

Harry walked over to her closet and opened it. He took a dress out and frowned.

"I am not exactly an expert with fashion but she's right. This is an old maid's closet, you have here. Aunt Petunia had better outfits than these." Hermione looked up, hands still over her face and glared at him through her fingers.

"You aren't exactly helping." Hermione said. She was surprised when Harry grabbed her wrist and dragged her through the front door.

"Harry! What are you doing? You're hurting me!"

"We are going to get you a new wardrobe. You burn all your clothes in that closet after we come back, promise?" He looked back at her waiting for her response but she looked flabbergasted.

"You're telling me to spend the whole day buying clothes and to burn the contents of my wardrobe in the middle of the night? Are you insane Harry Potter? Do you even know how much money I will spend on just filling up my closet? And the money I spent buying all those clothes that are already in it?!" Hermione yelled at him.

"Don't worry about the money, it's not a problem. And don't even argue with me about that because I am the one who told you to burn your clothes. There, we're even." Harry continued to drag her to the living room. Once there he looked at what she was wearing.

"Put your shoes on, 'Mione." Harry smiled at her as she grudgingly went to get her sneakers, put them on and tied them up.

"Where are we going again?"

"You just tag along." And before she argued, he moved his arms around her waist and they apparated.

Hermione was dizzy for a few seconds after her feet hit the ground.

"I hate side-along apparition," She grumbled and took a good look at where they were.

"We're in Muggle London." Harry stated. Yes, Hermione could see that, but she was surprised at the store in front of her. It was a boutique of expensive clothes only celebrities and royalty go to.

"Harry, I think you are mistaken." Hermione said, still looking up at the signboard above.

"No, you see, this shop is owned by a wizard." Harry stated matter-of-factly.

"What?!" Hermione was shocked to hear it! The most expensive clothes in England was sold by a wizard? That must be bullocks!

"Well, yes. I…kind of met him in Diagon Alley one day, told me if I was in need of fabulous clothing I should drop by and say hi." He explained.

"Oh, the wonders of being the Boy Who Lived, twice." Hermione shrugged. Harry pulled her inside and they were at once greeted by numerous expensive looking garments.

"Wow," Hermione couldn't contain herself. She was so delighted to see such soft fabrics in such intricate designs of clothes!

"Mr. Potter! Glad you could drop by!" The store owner, Richard acknowledged him. He shook Harry's hand and looked at Hermione.

"And you are?" He bowed and offered his hand to her. Hermione blushed but placed her hand to his in which he kissed softly.

"Hermione Granger," She said. He stood back upright and looked at Harry knowingly.

"She needed new clothes." Harry stated.

"Of course she does. Take a seat Ms. Granger. I will be right back." Richard went to the back room where, Hermione guessed, was full of more beautiful clothings.

Hermione couldn't keep herself from looking around so she stood up from her seat and started to walk around the shop. She found a cute baby blue summer dress and the same one in light green.

"Harry, do you think I can buy this one?" Hermione pointed at the light green summer dress. Harry nodded and smiled.

"That will look good on you. And look a summer hat to match it!" Harry pointed at a higher shelf and sure enough, there it was the partner summer hat.

"You like that? Maria!" Richard called out from the door he just went into. Maria came bustling from inside and went to fetch it with a ladder.

"I thought he was a wizard?" Hermione murmured to Harry.

"Well, you can still hire a Muggle as a sales assistant, right?" Hermione nodded her understanding.

"And these are what I have personally picked for you." Richard flicked his finger and twenty-five sales assistant came in displaying all the clothes that he _personally picked for her_.

There were different kinds of dresses, pairs of skirts and tops, formal pants and blouses and at least five cocktails and ball gowns. Hermione gasped at the sight of it all and was about to tell Harry that it was too much when he spoke.

"Don't tell me this is too much, because it's just right to fill your closet." Harry shrugged.

"He's right, dear. So don't argue." Richard smiled at her.

"I don't think you have shoes?" Harry asked.

"Well, unfortunately, we don't so I took the liberty of looking for the best shoe store in town." Richard smugly gave Harry a piece of paper which says the name of the store and its location.

"We're going then. Just deliver the clothes to this place." Harry handed him a piece of parchment and Richard nodded.

"We're going to buy shoes too?" Hermione asked once they were outside.

"You can't go wearing those clothes with sneakers on now, can you?" Harry told her.

After a day of shopping, Hermione bounced over her couch.

"I hate shopping!" Hermione told herself. She closed her eyes for a while to rest. She was about to sleep when she remembered that she still have to clean her room and arrange her new clothes.

She felt heavy when she stood up and had to drag her feet as she went inside her room. The paper bags of clothing were already there, the only thing she has to do is to sort them out. She moved to the first bag and saw the summer dress she picked. She fingered it for a while, caressing the soft fabric and wondered when she would be able to use it. She sighed placed the dress on her bed, and walked over to her closet. She opened it and examined the contents.

"Just because I promised Harry that I'll burn these doesn't mean I have to. A lot of people would love to have secondhand clothes." Hermione told herself and started to remove her clothes and placed them on the floor.

After three hours of painstakingly arguing with herself (whether or not to give away some of her clothes or to keep them in case she needed them) she was finished. She carried as many clothes as possible down her basement for a garage sale in the near future. When she was finally done, she smiled to herself.

"Now to choose a dress for tomorrow night. Hmm…" She stayed in front of her closet for half an hour without even considering one dress!

"Ugh! Why do they have to make a donation so public?! So Malfoy-like of them! Ugh, and I even have to put on an expensive dress and make-up for it! Really, they could have just gone to the Ministry, talk to the Minister and give him the money to get this all over with!" She was in the middle of her rant when her stomach growled.

"_And now I'm dying of starvation because I had to do this shopping thing all day!"_

She stomped her feet to her kitchen to see if there is food for dinner. She looked inside her fridge and only saw fruit juice. She grabbed a bottle of juice and closed the fridge when she saw a note.

_Buy food to stuff fridge_

She was supposed to buy her supplies today! And she spent in on clothes and shoes! All this dilemma because some rich blonde decided to donate a sum of money to the Ministry!

She drank her juice in one swig and went to her room to get changed. She grabbed her purse and was about to apparate when she heard a knock on her front door. She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering who it might be. She looked at her watch and saw that it was already 9:30 in the evening. She didn't expect any visitors since Harry went to work and Ron was out of town for a game. Ginny was busy with her business and she distinctly instructed her secretary not to bother her with work today since she took a day-off.

She slowly walked towards her door. The person outside must be in a hurry since they already knocked three times. When she was about to open it she was stunned to find her butt hit the floor unceremoniously.

"What the-!" Hermione managed to say in her shock. She looked at the person who forced his entry and was utterly mad when she saw the blonde locks.

"Why weren't you answering your door?!" Draco Malfoy looked very worried and angry at the same time. He stepped inside and didn't even bother to help her up. He sat on her couch and crossed his feet over her coffee table.

"Well, I was about to open it when you decided to use your wand and trespass! What are you doing here?" Hermione said, walking over beside him and pushed his feet off the table. He let it drop only to bring it back up again.

"I needed someone to talk to." Malfoy said, leaning on her sofa and closed his eyes.

"What? We're friends now?" Hermione asked, closing his arms in front of him, tapping her left foot to show her annoyance. Malfoy opened his eyes and looked around.

"You have a very small house." He said, ignoring her question and closing his eyes once more.

"You decided to come here to say my house is _small_?" She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms around her more.

"I said, _very_." He said through closed eyelids. He was smirking at his statement when he felt something hit him square in the face. He opened his eyes and saw another pillow coming his way. He moved so that it missed him.

"Well then, sorry if I have a _very small _house! Because unlike _somebody_, I have to work arse off just to by this _very small_ house! I am not like a certain someone who has twenty-five mansions all over the world and didn't even have to move a finger to have them!" She dropped herself on the sofa opposite the one Draco was occupying.

To Hermione's surprise, Draco stood up and walked over the door.

"That's it? You're leaving?" Hermione didn't even know why she asked this but she thought he needed something to talk about and all that's happened was an argument about her place.

"Yep." Draco answered, his hand on the door knob.

"You came here just to annoy me?" She asked straightening in her seat.

"Yep," He said again. Hermione fumed once more and stood up.

"It's just like what a Malfoy would do. Annoy the living hell out of everyone! Get on under peoples skin!" She was throwing her hands around in exasperation while saying this. At the end of her sentence she placed her hands on her hips and blew a stray hair off her face.

Draco turned and smirked at her.

"Nope. Granger, I don't annoy the living hell out of _everyone_. I annoy the living hell out of _you_ and you alone." He winked at her before opening the door and showing himself out. She was so irritated that he sat down again and crossed her arms in front of her.

"I can't believe him! He comes barging in just to annoy me! I hate him!" Hermione screamed at herself.

"No you don't. By the way, don't forget to wear your best clothes tomorrow. The best your arse could work for, that is. See you!" Malfoy said, his head peeking through a slightly opened door. He closed the door in time to avoid the third pillow that was thrown at him that night.

* * *

Hermione woke up the next morning slightly giddy. Even if she never really liked having to dress up nor attend formal parties, she kind of had a this happy feeling inside of her that maybe she could look pretty for once with the clothes Harry bought her.

She walked up to her closet and smiled ear to ear seeing the beautiful clothes hanging there.

"I haven't decided what to wear yet," Hermione sighed.

"Now, because I have so may beautiful clothes to consider I can't even settle on what to wear!" She exasperatedly told herself. She was biting her thumb in contemplation and stared up at her wardrobe. She was starting to decide on something when a knock on her door snatched it from her head.

"Who could it be, this early in the morning?" She asked herself. Of course if it was someone she knew, like Harry or Ginny, they would have let themselves in by apparating or by flooing but Hermione Granger didn't think that way at an early hour.

She opened the door smiling only to see a man wearing a very expensive tie with matching suit. Her smile faltered and turned into a frown.

"Need someone to torment this early? Can you push the meeting till after lunch?" Hermione said sarcastically without moving aside to let him in.

"Have you washed your mouth already? I can smell your morning breath way up here." He stated and pushed her gently to be able to come in. Hermione's eyes widened and positioned her hand over her mouth and smelled her breath. It doesn't smell bad, he was just exaggerating but she still ran to her bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.

When Hermione got back from her bathroom, she saw Draco in the same position as last night, reading the morning Prophet. She stepped in front of him and snatched the paper out of his hands.

"Manners Granger, I suppose you don't have it." Draco stated and sat properly taking in how she looked like. She was wearing an oversized shirt with an "R" embroidered in the middle a pair of man's pajamas and multi-colored socks. Hermione got uncomfortable with him looking at her like that so she flicked his forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?" He asked slightly annoyed but smiled inwardly.

"You were talking about manners, well, it's rude to stare." Hermione stated blushing.

"I wasn't even staring! I was just wondering what on earth you are wearing!" Draco whined.

"I don't see why it is your business but if you really must know. This is Ron's shirt, Harry's old pajama pants and well, that's it." She said, crossing her arms protectively.

"And why, may ask do you have them?" He asked.

"I won't s answer that. Now, enlighten me why you are here?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Just thought I would stop by, see how you are doing. Can you show me around?" He quickly added to cover up the how-you-are-doing slip he just managed to say. That was the last thing he needed for he was to be thrown out for sure.

Surprisingly, Hermione didn't take notice of the statement thinking it was his way of a joke. What's even more surprising was, she told him to stand up.

"Stand up." Hermione ordered.

"What?" Draco was puzzled; he wasn't used to short sentences when it comes to Hermione Granger.

"I though you want me to show you around, so stand up. It would be very disturbing if you walk around sitting on that couch, and I can't even imagine what that would look like, so stand up." She told him again. Draco smiled at her statement. It was amazing how his smile affected her because she smiled at him in return!

She led him around the house and it was funny because he didn't say anything offensive, until she told him she has a basement.

"What's with the basement?" He asked her.

"Well, sometimes I want to shut myself out of the world and the confines of my comfy room so I stay there… to think and stuff." She told him.

"To think? You do that in your free time? Oh, wait, wrong question. I already knew that." And he laughed at his own joke. Hermione got annoyed at this and stomped at his feet to make him stop laughing.

"Ow!" Draco yelped.

"That hurt! And these are genuine Italian leather too!"

"Well, I am sorry for the leather, now get out!" Se yelled at him pointing down the hall to the front door. He looked at her disbelievingly and smirked.

"I'll slap that smirk off your face if you don't get out right now!" She stomped her foot on the floor and pointed at her door to make a point. When he didn't move (he even leaned on the wall and examined his fingers) she pinched his side and pushed her towards the door.

"Granger, why are you always harassing me? I might get you to Azkaban for Physical Abuse or something." Hermione was pushing over his back when they passed her bedroom door. She didn't want him to come inside so she closed it.

"Oops Granger! Look! I'm falling! Falling!" He said while faking losing his balance and falling on top of her, his back to her.

"Ouch," Hermione retorted. Before she could help herself up, Draco was already on his feet and inside her bedroom! She remembered that the box he gave her was over the dresser and he's right on top of it!

Hermione hurriedly stood on her feet and ran towards him but it was too damn late. He turned and looked at her with the mother of all Malfoy smirks! His hands wrapped around the velvet box that was supposed to be in the stomach of the Giant Squid.

"Don't tell me, you did throw this and saw the Giant Squid eat it then you decided to take a swim with Squid. The Squid decided he likes you and regurgitated this and gave it to you. So since, technically it wasn't from me anymore, you decided to take it with you and even placed it over your dresser." Hermione's mouth hang open at the end of his speech. She blinked and closed her mouth and opened it to say something but closed it once more.

She was more shocked at what happened next. He walked to her closet, opened it and took out a dress, placed it over her bed and walked over to where she stood again.

"Wha-" Was all that came out of her mouth. He bent down and planted a soft kiss on her cheek, reached for her hand and laid the box on her hand before walking out. She looked at the box and felt her cheek. She felt warm where he kissed her and she couldn't admit that she felt… delighted.

She stayed like that for a good five minutes until Harry's head popped on her bedroom door.

"'Mione, are you alright? You look like some school girl whose crush just gave her a kiss." Harry told her smiling as if he just walked in on her having a snogging session with someone.

"Harry Potter, I am not a school girl with a crush on Malfoy!" Hermione's hand flew to her mouth and regretted what she said the moment it escaped her mouth. Harry smirked at her and sat on the sofa inside her bedroom.

"I didn't say it was Malfoy. So he did gave you a kiss? When was this…hmm?" He asked raising a knowing eyebrow at her.

"I…ugh. Better tell it to you. He dropped by this morning." She told him.

"What? So early? Tsk tsk…Have you had your breakfast yet?" He asked her.

"Not yet, actually."

"Aren't you going to cook breakfast for me?" Harry asked standing up and making his way to her kitchen. Hermione was about to follow him when he appeared on the threshold of her doorway again.

"'Mione, you forgot to buy your supplies for the week, didn't you?" Harry asked waving the paper that was supposed to be on her fridge door.

"Oh shoot! I totally forgot!" Hermione grabbed a pair of underwear and ran towards the bathroom.

"I guess I'll wait in the living room then." Harry told himself.

After two hours she went out of her room dressed in a tank top and jeans. She put on her sneakers on the doorway.

"Harry! Come on! I'm starving! We'll grab brunch and then go grocery shopping." Hermione called out to Harry who obliged and stood beside her to apparate to Diagon Alley.

When they got back to her place it was three in the afternoon and she still had five hours to prepare for the party Malfoy Inc. was throwing.

"I better go now." Harry said looking at his watch. Hermione nodded and placed the groceries on the counter.

"You better prepare now or you'll have no time to spare if your make-up goes wrong or something." Harry looked at his friend grinning.

"Ha.Ha. Harry. You know very well that the last thing I want is a messed up face on the biggest donation party of the year." Hermione stated.

"Look your best, dear." Harry waved goodbye and stuck out his tongue at her.

"See you, _honey_." Hermione said, blowing Harry a kiss and gave a wink.

After sorting her groceries, she only had four hours and twenty-six minutes to prepare for the party.

She went inside her bedroom and saw the dress Draco hand-picked for her. She took a look at it closely for the first time. It wasn't revealing, not even close to what she imagined Draco would pick for a woman. She then looked for a matching shoe. She saw the perfect pair the moment she looked at the bottom of her closet, white high-heels with a strap at the back.

* * *

"Potter, where is she? Are you sure she's coming?" Draco took another sip at his wine while looking at the entrance door.

"Malfoy, it's only quarter past seven! Don't get too excited." Harry told Draco and took a sip at his wine too.

"You're waiting for the love of your life, Draco?" Blaise Zabini inquired, taking a glass of firewhiskey from a passing waiter.

"Yes. And he's nervous too." Harry informed Blaise sharing a smug smile.

"Shut up you two." Draco scolded. All of them were looking at the entrance. As if on cue, the door slowly opened and there she was, Hermione Granger looking radiant with her light blush and shy at the same time. She was wearing an ivory strapless dress that has a subtle Grecian influence with its empire line and draped chiffon. It has a delicately pleated bust and chiffon ribbon that is tied in a bow at the waist. Her hair was tied into a bun with some of her curls dramatically framing her face.

Draco held his breath for what seemed like an eternity.He drank the remains of his wine and walked towards her. She walked inside the room tentatively. And she always straightens her dress every once in a while as if an invisible crease was there. All the other males in the room were staring at her and Draco couldn't wait until his feet reach its destination.

Hermione was again straightening up her dress when she heard someone speak behind her.

"It's fine. You don't have to do that." Hermione turned swiftly around which made her soft, light dress to fly around her, revealing her legs for a while.

"Oh." Hermione managed.

"Would you like some drink?" Draco offered his arm and, surprisingly, she took it.

"Thank you," She managed to say once they were out of the busy crowd piling up around her.

"For what?"

"For getting me out of there. I don't know what those people want. They look at me strangely. That's why I wondered if I had something on my dress or my face. I look okay right?" Hermione continued to rant and was about to ask Draco if he has a mirror when he placed his index finger over her mouth to make her stop speaking.

"You, Granger, look absolutely stunning, breath-taking, so don't worry yourself. Those people looked strangely at you because you look very beautiful tonight. Now, I am going to remove my finger but promise me that you will stop ranting, okay?" Hermione nodded and Draco removed his finger.

Hermione exhaled loudly and stared at him through the eyes.

"You really think so?" Hermione asked, unsure. She looked at her shoes as she said it. She tried to stay looking at his eyes but she couldn't she was too bashful for Merlin's sake! And this was Draco Malfoy for crying out loud!

Draco placed a finger under her chin to make her look up.

"Yes, Granger, everyday. Even this morning when you answered your door." He smiled at her. Draco was about to lean in and kiss her but she took a step back.

"I'm sorry, I have to find Harry."

"'Mione! I'm right here!" Harry waved across the refreshment table which was behind Draco.

Blaise approached Draco, who was sulking, and told him that it was time for handing the donation. Draco nodded and started his way to the stage.

The handing of donation was finished in five minutes and he dreaded it. He knew that she would leave as soon as the formalities were done. She glanced at Harry and Hermione's table and sure enough, she was saying her goodbyes. She jogged his way to their seat in time.

"Granger, I'll walk you home." Draco offered. Harry's brows raised in bewilderment at what he just heard.

"You wouldn't mind, right, Potter?" Draco took a glance at Harry and the latter nodded.

"Malfoy, I don't walk home, I apparate." Hermione informed him. Draco could hear a snigger from the side and saw Harry and Blaise trying to stifle their laughter to no avail.

"I…well, there's a first for everything." He countered.

"Uhm, Harry!" Hermione called out for help. Harry just shrugged and sniggered again.

"I guess," Hermione said and went to the counter to get her coat.

* * *

"Thank you for letting me walk with you." Draco stated. It was so unlikely for him to be like that! And he didn't like it, well, only a bit.

"Thanks for walking with me," Hermione managed. She was blushing! Dear Merlin, and she didn't want to admit it!

"It was my pleasure. Hope to see you soon then!" Draco wanted to sound jolly and waved goodbye. He had taken a few steps when she called out to him.

"Would you like to see my basement?" Hermione was so sure it sounded like a lame excuse but that was it, a lame excuse to make him come inside and stay with her. He turned and swaggered his way towards her.

"Your basement? I would love too!" Hermione smiled and lead him inside.

She was preparing a snack for them while he stayed in the living room. She was happy, after all the years she spent on pretending to hate him after that ring incident and even before that, now she was happy. She didn't know when it started, but in between the verbal spat during Hogwarts, she knew she had a thing for him. She just never thought that during the last day of their exams, he would give her that ring.

She was carrying a tray of food when she heard a record player playing down her basement. Puzzled, she climbed down the stairs and saw, instead of stacks of boxes, a table for two was in the middle of the room. A candle was lit at the middle of the table which illuminated the whole room. Pasta was served on the table and Draco was standing on one side offering her a seat. A soft music of a violin accompanied by a piano played on the record. She recognized it as Canon.

"Happy anniversary, Granger." Draco greeted at her. She was baffled by what he meant. She walked towards him, still carrying the tray. Draco took the tray from her and set it somewhere in the room. Hermione was so enchanted that she didn't know where he had put it. He pushed her seat and sat on the opposite chair. After Draco sat, Hermione found her voice and asked the questions that bothered her.

"Anniversary? Err… why? I mean, since when did we have an anniversary?" Hermione asked.

"Since the day you accepted that ring." Draco pointed at the ring she now wore on her ring finger.

"And now, I would like you to accept this one," Hermione stared at him in disbelief and confusion. Draco remained his eye contact with her while kneeling down and fetching a green velvet box from his pocket. He opened it in front of her revealing a huge cabochon cut emerald stone with small diamonds that enchant the white gold band.

"Will you marry me, Hermione?" Draco asked. Bothe Hermione's hands flew to her mouth covering her mouth that fell open at the question he popped. She looked at him, waiting for the punch line but it never came. Draco looked like he really wanted to stand up but he couldn't because she hadn't said her answer yet. Hermione put her hands on his and directed him to stand up too.

"I…well, sure? I mean, yes… Yes, of course!" Hermione said unsure of what will happen next. Draco reached out for her hand and placed the emerald ring beside the crocheted one and smirked at her.

"_Oh bugger, here it goes,"_ Hermione thought and looked at him with furrowed brows.

"I thought so," Draco said pulling her into his arms.

"What?" Hermione asked looking at him, placing a hand over his chest to push away; quite annoyed that he actually thought she would say yes.

"I said, I knew you were going to say yes. You have been hopelessly in love with me since forever!" Draco stated with a wider smirk.

"Well, excuse me Mr. Malfoy, I quite disagree. And I will be withdrawing my answer. It is a no now." Hermione turned as if to walk away but Draco wrapped his arms around her.

"No you don't." Draco said.

"Or else, you will have to pay for all the clothes and shoes you bought." Draco told her in her ear.

"What?" Hermione turned her face to him, their lips barely an inch apart.

"If you must know, I talked Potter into getting you to buy some new clothes. Weaselette told me you have the most awful looking clothes in the universe and I can't have that for a wife now, can I?" Draco stated matter-of-factly.

"No, because Malfoys always have the best. And now you are getting the best witch in Hogwarts to marry you. What a shame." Hermione stated.

"So full of ourself now, are we?" Hermione snorted at this and stole a kiss from him. It was soft and gentle, just like a first kiss should be (although this wasn't really the first, they had lots of kissing spree way back). After the broke apart, Hermione thought of something.

"What would you have done if I didn't invite you in?"

"Hah! That would not happen. I already knew you had the kicks for me." And they kissed again for a snogging session was dearly in order.

* * *

"Thank you for letting me walk with you." Draco stated. It was so unlikely for him to be like that! And he didn't like it, well, only a bit.

"Thanks for walking with me," Hermione managed. She was blushing! Dear Merlin, and she didn't want to admit it!

"It was my pleasure. Hope to see you soon then!" Draco wanted to sound jolly and waved goodbye.

"_One, two, three.. and-"_

"Would you like to see my basement?"

"_Hah! I knew she couldn't resist my charm. Now, I must call Potter and Zabini, tell them to prepare the basement."_

She was preparing a snack for them while he stayed in the living room. She was happy, after all the years she spent on pretending to hate him after that ring incident and even before that, now she was happy. She didn't know when it started, but in between the verbal spat during Hogwarts, she knew she had a thing for him. She just never thought that during the last day of their exams, he would give her that ring.

"Hurry up Potter! She might see you here! Blaise! Don't just stand there! Help Potter!" Draco hissed as he ordered the two men.

"It would be easy, Draco, if you cared enough to help!" Blaise hissed at his friend.

"Alright, alright, I'll go prepare this table." Draco grudgingly said and made the table.

A few minutes later, they were done.

"Now, go on. You wouldn't want to be here when I ask her!" Draco shooed them.

"You know what, Blaise, I think I would love to see that." Harry turned to Blaise and he leaned on the wall where they wouldn't be visible.

"Yeah, I think I like that too." Blaise agreed and did the same.

"Alright fine, but when we started shag- I mean, snogging, you must go." Draco corrected as he saw Harry's protective mode come into action.

"I'm warning you Malfoy. Wait until after the wedding!" Harry hissed. The player started its music and Hermione came down the basement with a tray in hand.

* * *

After four months of preparing for the wedding, tonight would be the last night for one Draco Malfoy as the most eligible Bachelor of the Wizarding world. Many girls wanted to be the one to snatch that guy for years, but it took one Hermione Granger to throttle his heart and keep it in her hands.

One of the girls who fantasized being with the riches and the arms of Draco was Pansy Parkinson. The pug-faced ex-girlfriend of Draco. She never got the hang of keeping herself away from him. So tonight, before he could be tied up with the Mudblood slut, she would have Draco for herself.

She flooed unnoticed directly to his room. There he was, sleeping soundly with a smile on his face. She felt sick. Draco wasn't like this, never!

"_This was all the Mudblood's fault!" _Pansy thought to herself.

"I will give you your fantasies, Drakey." She said, whispering in his ear. She undressed herself. It helped very much that Draco only wore boxers to sleep. She situated herself on top of him and was about to slip his member into her when she heard a pop behind her.

"I know seeing each other before the wedding is bad luck but-" Hermione stopped at what she was seeing. Pansy Parkinson, completely naked, on top of Draco!

Draco opened his eyes slowly and blinked. He felt something on top of him, and he had problem breathing. He blinked and saw Pansy on top of him, a very angry and hurt Hermione just a few steps from the foot of the bed.

"Pansy get off me!" He bellowed at the woman and pushed her off him and onto the floor.

He was about to ran to Hermione who had angry tears strolling down her face, to hug her but she had apparated away before he could reach her.

* * *

**A/n: Was it good? Please tell me what you think. For those who have not yet read TOP FLOOR just visit my page. Thanks for reading! PLEASE REVIEW!**


End file.
